Obstructionism and a monopoly of gainsay has undermined the Democrats during wartime, and they cannot see it. The Democrats have vaulted their radicals to the leadership positions, people like Howard Dean, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, all of whom think that saying "No!" amounts to responsible opposition. In all three cases, the leaders spend more time calling the GOP names and engaging in personal attacks than in highlighting alternate approaches to issues.

What the respective numbers in the DC survey show in a big picture sense is that while Republicans' weakness and fecklessness have eroded their base's enthusiasm, it hasn't impacted their extra-base support all that much. Whereas the combination of the Democrats' hopelessly obsolete ideas (dementias, really) and their toxic dissemination of them has both turned off the center and helped offset GOP grassroots disgruntlement by keeping their provocation level at a high rolling boil. This contrast is symbolized by the respective party chairman, as the RNC's Ken Mehlman continues his efforts at base-broadening while Howie Dean persists in pouring red meat on the left-wing mastiffs in their land of fascist make-believe.

My feeling for the past month (since the "memo of understanding" debacle) has been that the GOP will take it in the shorts in '06 over its inability to function as a governing majority, particularly in the Senate. But it appears, at least at this point in time, that, just as in the past two election cycles, the Donks' violent allergy to discretion may end up scoring the trifecta of pulling Republican victory from the jaws of defeat.

It's rather like one of comedian Ron White's trademark lines. Describing the scene after he'd been thrown out of a New York City bar and was being arrested for "drunk in public," White cracks, "They told me I had the right to remain silent...but I didn't have the ability."

I don't know if White is a Democrat, but if he is, he's got a lot of company - in more ways than one.